Winfield, Carol Stream, Warrenville, Geneva, Batavia, Wheaton, St. Charles...? (Chicago: job, homes)

[treeg26]

It will be very hard to find a place to rent for under $1000/month. Especially in a nice area. Be careful of apartment complexes with a 2BR for under $1000. They really won't be in a desireable area. Can't you guys stay with the Mom a while until you know more about the area? That would be your best bet. I'd hate to see you end up somewhere that isn't nice and stuck in a lease.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by BUalumni

Why is it that everytime I post in the Chi-town suburb forum, I am followed up by a remark by you?

The cities that I was talking about as junk are Joliet, Aurora, Elgin, and the great gem of Gary. Yes, Gary is a suburb of Chicago. Last time I checked Shaumburg wasn't as big as the others, and although it is nicer than Joliet by a long shot, it isn't anything to write home about. Peoria is vastly more interesting, with superior amounts of character. So what was your point?

Please. I'm sorry, but suburban cities cannot compete with actual cities like Peoria or Springfield. Heck, Bloomington might as well annex the whole city of Naperville since they are almost identical. Who said anything about Effingham? I was talking about central Illinois cities. Southern Illinois really doesn't have any. Comparing Effingham to Chicago suburbs is just as strange as comparing Pekin to Chicago suburbs. It just doesn't work that way.

Here is a list of Peoria does have on your basis of what makes the suburbs "so much" better.

Public transit-check, Peoria serves a Tri-County+ radius
Children's museums-check
Arboretums-check
Art museums-check
Community colleges-CHECK!, that is a weird one
Water parks-check
No place to take a Nascar track day event-LOL! well you got us there
Bustling nightlife districts-check
Frank Loyd Wright Homes- why doesn that even begin to matter
Horse racing tracks-check
Amuzement Parks-check, but no we don't have Six Flags, but neither does Naperville
Mega-Shopping "experiences"- LOL! Well we have three malls just in Peoria itself and that doesn't even begin to describe all the other "shopping experiences" in the city and surround areas, or Bloomington. By the way, most people don't consider having a massive mall in town as good thing.
Historic Shopping areas-check
No access to pro sports-well, the Tri-County area isn't that far from Chicago or St. Louis. As far as access goes, I think we might have more.
Mega car shows-Once again, how is that a positive or unique trait to Chicagoland? We have some pretty big ones though. In fact most of what you guys get goes to the burbs, and then coems down here.
Restaurants that we don't have-Well I think Portillos is overates anyway. Besides, we have tons that are singular to the Peoria/Bloomington experience. How that does that make us any different?

I'm not trying to attack you, but your argument is a little out there!

Well, please continue to think that Peoria has everything that Chicagoland does (quality and quantity wise), Ill disagree until my dying day.

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Well, please continue to think that Peoria has everything that Chicagoland does (quality and quantity wise), Ill disagree until my dying day.

Well there ar few places that can compare to the whole of Chicagoland. This is why it is the third largest metro in the US. That's a little cheap to say though. It isn't like everyone that lives in Plainfield uses everything in the whole of Chicagoland. May I ask how many times you venture out into the city a year, or even out of the western burbs? When I lived in Downers Grove I spent much of my time in DG, Joliet, and sometimes Aurora. Naperville wasn't that big yet. I'm not sure why you don't seem to believe that downstate cities like Peoria and Bloomington can compare to places like Shaumburg.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by BUalumni

Well there ar few places that can compare to the whole of Chicagoland. This is why it is the third largest metro in the US. That's a little cheap to say though. It isn't like everyone that lives in Plainfield uses everything in the whole of Chicagoland. May I ask how many times you venture out into the city a year, or even out of the western burbs? When I lived in Downers Grove I spent much of my time in DG, Joliet, and sometimes Aurora. Naperville wasn't that big yet. I'm not sure why you don't seem to believe that downstate cities like Peoria and Bloomington can compare to places like Shaumburg.

If people dont take advantage of what Chicagoland has to offer, thats their problem. Im in the city many times every year. About 10-12 times for Hawks games, 2-3 times for shopping, maybe once or twice just to stroll around with nothing in particular to do.

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

If people dont take advantage of what Chicagoland has to offer, thats their problem. Im in the city many times every year. About 10-12 times for Hawks games, 2-3 times for shopping, maybe once or twice just to stroll around with nothing in particular to do.

You just confirmed my point! I am in Chicago at least twice a month doing something. I go into the city more then my friends and family do that still live up there for goodness sake. Many neighbors of mine that still live in DG have went into Chicago maybe a total of a couple dozens times, and they have lived up there for going on fifty years! By your criteria Peoria/Bloomington is everything that the suburbs are, so what is the big deal about us being inferior to you. What could Shaumburg possibly have on us beside a mega-mall?, which we already decided does not make a city better than another.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by BUalumni

You just confirmed my point! I am in Chicago at least twice a month doing something. I go into the city more then my friends and family do that still live up there for goodness sake. Many neighbors of mine that still live in DG have went into Chicago may a total of a couple dozens times, and they have lived up there for going on fifty years! By your criteria Peoria/Bloomington is everything that the suburbs are, so what is the big deal about us being inferior to you. What could Shaumburg possibly have on us beside a mega-mall?, which we already decided does not make a city better than another.

Do you have a Ferrari dealer? Cheesecake Factory? Maggianos? Portillos? Game Works? Tower Records? Ikea? Magnum's Steak House? Bahama Breeze? Didnt think so.

Thats just the tip of the iceberg there. Those are the little things that places in Chicagoland have that downstate really doesnt. Its stuff like that that make Chicagoland more desireable to me. Now, if I didnt care about more amenities and just wanted a quieter lifestlye and cheaper COL, downstate would be my first choice. But its not what I want right now, so thats why I prefer Chicagoland and all that it has to offer.

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Do you have a Ferrari dealer? Cheesecake Factory? Maggianos? Portillos? Game Works? Tower Records? Ikea? Magnum's Steak House? Bahama Breeze? Didnt think so.

Thats just the tip of the iceberg there. Those are the little things that places in Chicagoland have that downstate really doesnt. Its stuff like that that make Chicagoland more desireable to me. Now, if I didnt care about more amenities and just wanted a quieter lifestlye and cheaper COL, downstate would be my first choice. But its not what I want right now, so thats why I prefer Chicagoland and all that it has to offer.

But why do those things matter in the big picture? They don't make a town better than another. I have never heard anyone say that they live in a town for the convience of Game Works. I'm gonna go out on a limb here too and say that you don't make much use of a Ferrari dealer on any kind of regular basis either. My gosh, Ferrari is one of the few dealerships that you won't find in the Peoria area. But that doesn't make it any less of a city, at least in my mind. Your comments just seem to be confusing. You say in one statement that you really can't afford the burbs. But then say you won't leave because of things like Portillos! So what you are really saying that is you are willing to sacrifice affording an identical home to one that you would find in Chicagoland, and sending your kids to schools that are ranked just as high as Chicagolands, all for steak and cheesecake? If it is a distance issue from Chicago that you are worried about, we aren't that far, and since it appears that I am in Chicago more than you, it can be done frequently.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by BUalumni

But why do those things matter in the big picture? They don't make a town better than another. I have never heard anyone say that they live in a town for the convience of Game Works. I'm gonna go out on a limb here too and say that you don't make much use of a Ferrari dealer on any kind of regular basis either. My gosh, Ferrari is one of the few dealerships that you won't find in the Peoria area. But that doesn't make it any less of a city, at least in my mind. Your comments just seem to be confusing. You say in one statement that you really can't afford the burbs. But then say you won't leave because of things like Portillos! So what you are really saying that is you are willing to sacrifice affording an identical home to one that you would find in Chicagoland, and sending your kids to schools that are ranked just as high as Chicagolands, all for steak and cheesecake? If it is a distance issue from Chicago that you are worried, we aren't that far, and since it appears that I am in Chicago more than you, it can be done frequently.

I never said those things make a city better, they just add more flavor, and thats what Im looking for in a metro area. Make sense? While Portillos certainly does NOT make, say, Geneva a better city than, say, Bloomington, it sure does make it a little more interesting. If I was craving a big fat Italian beef from Portillos and lived in B-N, Id be crap outta luck. If I wanted to spend a night out with the guys playing interactive games, etc, and lived in B-N, Id also have nowhere to go. See where IM going with this? I never said downstate cities were "lesser", but they certainly dont have as many options as Chicagoland does. Me? I prefer to have more options around, adds spice to life. And when you live someplace that is lacking in said places, it does become somewhat of a downer to me. When I lived in Tennessee I cant even begin stress how much I missed those types of places, so yes, it is kind of a big deal to people like me. Heck, even when I lived in Dixon, IL, I missed those places. Doenst mean Dixon/Oregon, IL are bad places to live, they just lack alot of things that I took for granted in the Chicagoland area (which BTW I dont take for granted anymore).

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

I never said those things make a city better, they just add more flavor, and thats what Im looking for in a metro area. Make sense? While Portillos certainly does NOT make, say, Geneva a better city than, say, Bloomington, it sure does make it a little more interesting. If I was craving a big fat Italian beef from Portillos and lived in B-N, Id be crap outta luck. If I wanted to spend a night out with the guys playing interactive games, etc, and lived in B-N, Id also have nowhere to go. See where IM going with this? I never said downstate cities were "lesser", but they certainly dont have as many options as Chicagoland does. Me? I prefer to have more options around, adds spice to life. And when you live someplace that is lacking in said places, it does become somewhat of a downer to me. When I lived in Tennessee I cant even begin stress how much I missed those types of places, so yes, it is kind of a big deal to people like me. Heck, even when I lived in Dixon, IL, I missed those places. Doenst mean Dixon/Oregon, IL are bad places to live, they just lack alot of things that I took for granted in the Chicagoland area (which BTW I dont take for granted anymore).

I understand what you are saying. I'm just just questioning your reasoning. There is a very real chance that we will be living up there this time next year. If the job goes through there are tons of things that I'm going to miss about Peoria that make River City unique and all its own. When I want to eat at Riverstation, nope, Oswego doesn't have that. When I'm craving a Monical's Pizza. No can do. When I want to go jogging on a crystal clear morning on the Riverfront with the sunset just rising over the skyline, and then head over to the Riverplex, and then watch a barge go by on Peoria Lake, while sitting underneath the Murray Baker Bridge, watching the commuters come into the city, eating a homemade wrap from a random outside downtown vendor, and then seeing a show at the Rhythm Kitchen, or Panache, or a Bradley Game, or Chiefs Game that night, or driving along Grandview Drive admiring old mansions nestled along the hillside, or taking a stroll through Wildlfe Prairie Park, or sitting on our boat watching the fireworks as thunder through the river valley, or golfing on award winning courses like Weaver Ridge or Lick Creek, or listening to one of the oldest and most prestigious symphonies in the nation, or cheering on the Rivermen, or seeing a rock concert at the Civics Center...or...or...or... See what I mean? But I will give that up so that I can continue to support my family and give them the best quality of life we can have. What is the world coming to when people choose quanity over quality. I will never understand that way of thought.

[smiles789]

Umm, I lived in Hawaii for awhile (in all its splendor) and I MISSED Portillos and my Chicago Pizza!!!!!! Portillos is worth living in Chicago in and of itself!!!